The Old Hypothermia Trick
by the meaty grape
Summary: "I don't feel any better now that they're all looking at me." Jukebox. Oneshot.


**I owe this to expand the small Jukebox community. All the other ships already exist in the show. Oneshots will eventually give me inspiration for a Chapter fic. Happy reading :)**

This is fun.

I think.

No this is definitely fun.

Yup, I'm having a good time.

Everyone else is having a good time, and so am I.

I'm going in circles mentally and literally! I'm just aimlessly walking around the perimeter of Lake Eerie watching everyone else enjoy themselves.

Dutch and Tennie are flirting and splashing each other at the shallow end of the lake. Chuck has finally convinced Claire to go down the super slide. He's struggling to get her to actually do it though. She's fighting and swatting away his hands but she's also fighting the smiles that grow on her lips when he touches her. Texas is far off on the shore trying to pick up any one of the girls from the group he's talking to. It seems like love is in the air but why is it making me so unnerved? Wait I thought I agreed I was having fun.

"Something on your mind son?"

I leapt at the sound of Jacob's raspy voice. I wasn't expecting him to leave his food truck to talk to anyone; no matter how little customers he had, well none. I scratched the back of my head embarrassed that he'd caught me gawking.

"Oh hey Jacob. Nah I'm just worried about you know… ummmmmm Kane. Yeah Kane. That Kane, I never knowing what he's up to, you know?" I spluttered pathetically.

"You worry too much Mike. Why don't you enjoy yourself why don't you, for once in your life. You're young! What I wouldn't give to be young again! I'd have spent less time in the Kane Co. Labs and more time with the ladies…." He reminisced for a second. I chuckled at his concentrated expression.

"I bet you would…. but I don't know. I'm busy all the time I don't have time for any of that."

"There's always time for romance and you seem pretty upset that everyone's having a good time and that Julie's not here."

My heart stuttered, he didn't need to bring her into this. Why was he so good at hitting my weak points?

"It's not that. She's …she's busy. I understand."

"Sure, sure Mikey." He mumbled,patted my shoulder and then took off. I watched him leave for a second then started to stare back at the others again. 'I'm not jealous.' I told myself then took another look at their smiling faces, giggles, and playful touches. 'Crap, I'm taking another lap.'

She's busy. I get that, but why did she have to be busy out of nowhere? She had invited Claire down here so she planned to stay and keep her company right? But then her com popped in front of her and in seconds her smile was gone and she ran into the next room to take care of it. When she came back she was hell bent on getting back to Deluxe. "Don't worry it's just an intern thing I have to deal with."

I was disappointed instantly, there was no way to get Julie do anything she didn't want. I mean I was disappointed that the whole team wasn't gonna be together. I kicked a rock. This is not like me! Jacob is right if he was young again he'd be all over the place. In Jacob's honor and hypothetical youth I owe it to myself to talk to one of those girls Texas is talking to!

I'm almost finished with this lap and I'm getting closer to Texas and the girl crowd around him. I can hear Tex making Jet Lee noises and I can see him flexing his muscles. Oh he's gonna throw in a throat flex too... Whoa they actually like it. What the hell am _I_ gonna do when I get there? Flex _my_ muscles? My muscles are non-existent and I have no ass! I'm kinda screwed... damn; plan B.

I started walking the opposite direction towards the super slide. There's one thing _I know_ I can do.

I reached the top with a thick solid piece of driftwood. Chuck and Claire we're still there. He had gone down the slide a few times to demonstrate the different angles she could perform to not ruin her hair, but she was stubborn.

"Hey guys." I said passing by them to the peak of the slide's chute.

"Hey Mikey. Would you please tell Claire there is nothing to be afraid of—"

"There's nothing to be afraid of! Later!" I hollered to them. I had already started my jump. Once I had my feet planted on the driftwood it was all skill and instinct. The adrenaline kicked in and my hair was whipping around my face while droplets of water shot at my skin. This is _my_ playing field, the drop factor barely phases me. Half way down the jump, nearing the launch I concentrate all my strength to my core and feet and fling myself off the slide. I howl with pleasure as I do flips in the air; four maybe five; I'm high up. My landing is impeccable the driftwood is forgotten, floating on the deep end.

I swim to the surface and shake my hair out of my face. Almost everyone is cheering, even Texas and his group. I smile for a brief moment. I don't feel any better now that they're all looking at me.

'Why'd you have to go?'

I swim to the shore and walk away.

* * *

It's cold now. I wish I would've brought some kind of clothes to sulk in silence. I'm still in my swim trunks. No one is at the lake anymore and it's quiet. The water looks dark and eerie as it ripples gently, I guess the name really does fit. I told everyone nicely to leave me by myself, then not so nicely once they started insisting.

When I heard the bootheels, I smiled. I had been imagining them for hours now, but they're real now. I can tell. A warm wooly jacket covers my bare back, it makes everything better. She makes everything so much better.

"You're nuts you know that?" She says taking a seat next to me on the gravel. "What happened to you today?" she asked angrily.

Angry or not I still loved messing with her, "What happened to _you_ today? We were all supposed to hang out together."

"What are you talking about? I told you had things to take care of back in Deluxe! What's with you? Really? You can't just sit out in the freezing cold with no shirt on!" she started going on and on about how I could've gotten hypothermia or pneumonia etc. etc. She was flailing her arms up and down because of her rant so I grabbed the tops of them to keep her still.

"You're hands are freezing! Let me go, you're gonna make me cold too."

We were both shivering now and I started laughing when she couldn't say anything without her teeth chattering. My shaky arms brought her inside the warm jacket with me, and surprisingly she clung onto my waist to stay inside. Her cold skin raised goosebumps on mine and I could feel her breathe slow down. We shivered together until we were both warm again. I rested my chin in her hair, she smelled nice. Like mint.

"I missed you."


End file.
